tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post115240427781636495..comments2023-09-09T17:41:33.146+03:00Comments on HISTOLOGION: taloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13680864841710474232noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post-1152861571646263822006-07-14T10:19:00.000+03:002006-07-14T10:19:00.000+03:00Did you get the email I sent you? I want you to p...Did you get the email I sent you? I want you to post at my blog, particularly about Congo now.Frank Partisanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post-1152708782357820612006-07-12T15:53:00.000+03:002006-07-12T15:53:00.000+03:00DM: GNN simply stated that the West (and France in...DM: GNN simply stated that the West (and France in particular) has a disincentive to actually work for the DRC's independence. I can't see this as in any way far fetched...<BR/><BR/>The alternative to these rather hurried elections, with the predetermined outcome, should have been some sort of national unity government, in which the opposition should have had some say and some control in the matter of how things should proceed. Elections, during which <A HREF="http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18233" REL="nofollow">opposition journalists are murdered</A> and demonstrators are fired upon, are more of a problem than a solution - depending on one's priorities that is. The <A HREF="http://allafrica.com/stories/200606130107.html" REL="nofollow">opposition representative I linked to</A> in the previous article presents the problem and suggests what should have been done. Read it and note on the second page, the following:<BR/><BR/><I> You said before that you have the impression the international community does not want to see proper elections in the DRC. What do you mean?<BR/><BR/>This is painful for us. Liberia had an elected president who was arrested because of his implication in crimes. In Haiti, the rebels came into Port-au-Prince, but they didn't get power. But in Congo, we have a different solution. People who have guns have power, and they are backed by all the Western countries. They are in power not because they have shown us that they are good leaders. Reports by UN experts conclude that they are looters. But they are still there. Why? Because it will be difficult to find other puppets like those men.<BR/><BR/>Look at the mineral resources of Congo. Compare Chile, the world's largest producer of copper, which has a maximum ratio of 0.18 copper in its soil, to Congo, which has a minimum of 3 percent. Our mineral resources are making men crazy. No matter that we didn't properly organise the first elections in 40 years. It's Africa. We have a pretext to maintain mismanagement. And after this, they will say the Congolese people are not capable of managing such a big country and it would be better to have it in parts, like Yugoslavia.<BR/><BR/>The elections are like a showcase, but behind it is a masquerade to legitimise looters and their foreign supporters. I have [copies of] agreements, which I brought here for you to see. They are with Canadian, American, French and Belgian [companies]. How can you give 84 percent of all copper [concessions] to one man, [George] Forrest, a Belgian citizen working with multinationals? How can you give someone 90 percent of cobalt [concessions]? Congo has the largest deposits of cobalt in the world. It means you have given someone almost all the cobalt of the world, without a tender.</I><BR/><BR/>The Eu's presence is in fact legitimizing a very flawed election process, which is more likely to stir further trouble than to quell it. The only business that the EU units should have is helping disarm the militia - most of which are run by the people that will win this election and which the EU is implicitly supporting. This can only be done after a process in which the international community will not be interested in pushing puppets but in establishing a better (even if not ideal) background in which meaningful elections can be held, Then - by all means - send any troops requested.taloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13680864841710474232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post-1152697125983399982006-07-12T12:38:00.000+03:002006-07-12T12:38:00.000+03:00A strong state in the Congo will not only threaten...<I>A strong state in the Congo will not only threaten French control </I><BR/><BR/>I had to stop reading at that point. There are very few strong states in SSA, and Congo will not join their number any time soon. Congo is as likely to threaten the France nuclear weapons as it is to threaten Franch interests with a strong state.<BR/><BR/>Talos, your point about the human suffering is well taken. I don't know what the answer is. The world simply doesn't care much about Africa.<BR/><BR/>As to the election support: I see the problems you point to, but I'm still waiting to hear what alternative you'd propose. No elections? No EU assistance for the elections? Different assistance? Different how?<BR/><BR/>I'm not trying to bait you; I'm sincerely asking. There are problems with the current intervention, sure. What's the alternative?<BR/><BR/><BR/>Doug M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post-1152622672574776752006-07-11T15:57:00.000+03:002006-07-11T15:57:00.000+03:00black river eagle: Ah yes, Anglo-American: a pilla...black river eagle: Ah yes, Anglo-American: <A HREF="http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1988/09/mm0988_08.html" REL="nofollow">a pillar of apartheid</A> it seems. How ironic that they should be offering advice about Africa and they look "to promote itself as a company that can, along with government, play a role in the battle against poverty and disease in Africa"<BR/><BR/>Thank you BTW for your kind words. It was the non-news of the casualty figures in the DRC that flipped me out. I still can't fathom how this level of human loss and suffering not be news around the world. So I decided to do my insignificant part in raising some sort of awareness about the issue. <BR/>Add to that the fact that the EU (in my name) is sending a military force which runs the risk of legitimizing some rather dubious elections- and in fact aiding France's best political client, while very few Europeans know about it...taloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13680864841710474232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657459.post-1152407519239635762006-07-09T04:11:00.000+03:002006-07-09T04:11:00.000+03:00A sharp addition to, one of your best postings.A sharp addition to, one of your best postings.Frank Partisanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.com